The Third
by KiahTrickster
Summary: Few know the history between Terra Nova's Second in Command and the Sixers, but there is no love lost between them. Repost.


Few know the past of Terra Nova's second in command, some question why a woman got the job; will the new recruits feel the same way? The third pilgrimage landed in the middle of Arrow Point Lake, in a dying world do many know how to swim? A back story for Wash.

 _ **Disclaimer: I write for fun not profit, was sad to see the show cancelled. No copyright infringement intended, all characters belong to the creators and producers.**_

 **The Third**

Weapon on her hip, soldiers spread in a wide sweep Lieutenant Alicia Washington led them forward; the third pilgrimage was expected today. And with a nasty little habit of opening up in the most difficult of places it was key that her security team found the portal before it spit any unsuspecting pilgrim out to be a predator's snack.

Her com crackled to life and her CO's familiar voice rang into her ear. "Wash report."

"Nothing yet sir, we are hitting the edge of the three click search radius." Another half hour and they would be beyond the area the portal was known to open in. That said they didn't know all that much about the thing to begin with, so in her mind the search radius could be garbage.

It was her commanding officer's certainty and orders that made her turn her men around every time they hit it; sweeping the area slowly and surely. She trusted Taylor's opinion and followed him through a bloody war; then followed him here. The choice to follow that last order had not been an easy one.

Yet since she was a child Alicia had known life wasn't meant to be easy, and the day of her death would come; nothing could prevent it. That day hadn't come yet, so she kept going forward, kept fighting and kept surviving. Someday living wouldn't mean going to war, death and blood; she wanted to believe that. But more than a decade as a soldier and medic on a special ops unit was breaking that hope little by little.

It was the voices of her family, family who had died before the Terra Nova project began who believed there was something better than the dying world. Because of their love, legacy and hope she didn't give up. Didn't give up in life, in battle or on another human being; that said it didn't mean she let her emotions show too clearly.

They hit the perimeter and she called the unit to pace west and prepare to pass back towards the colony. Alicia took point, her gaze scanning the landscape as she relied on the skills honed when she was girl; the skills that had kept her alive for most of her life. Most learned their skills when they joined the military, she came in with a set; a dying art.

Alicia joined the military five years after her father's death, having lost her grandfather in that time as well. She had never wanted anything else but to follow in the family legacy. Never been taught anything else either, both men had been useful to the military, one giving his life for his country and the other having retired after a land mine from a war years before took his legs. In their careers they were the best overland trackers in the world, if something needed to be found or followed the Washington men could do it.

They had drilled the skills into her since she could walk, taught her follow even the faintest trails and read all they had to tell. When she came to Terra Nova she learned an entirely new appreciation for those skills, feeling as though she had stepped into one of her grandfather's stories from long ago.

That had been a connection she thought of often, he would have loved it here. And in that she had come, she had followed her CO through that portal knowing she would never come back; she didn't regret that decision. But she did wonder if there would ever be anything more for her.

Moving through the dense jungle she looked up at the canopy; it was well past mid day. The first pilgrims should be arriving. Her unit was beginning to tire, and letting them loose focus was unacceptable. After checking in she gathered them for a short break.

"Wash, come in!" There was an urgency to the Commander's tone, and she felt her body tense in anticipation; it was time to move.

"Go ahead." The unit knew by her tone it was urgent and were getting ready to move as she replied.

"We need you on the shore of Arrow Point now!" Taylor's voice held a sharp edge and she realized Arrow Point was within the portal's landing area. "The unit will follow, take one person to watch your six; double time Lieutenant."

With that order she instructs one of the more experienced men to take over; she had served with him years ago. Then ordered Reilly on her six and took off. As a girl her family had taken trips to the most rugged terrain available and hiked, never had she thought it would prepare her for this; but it did. The private was working hard to keep up with her but Alicia knew the young woman had potential; and could handle the pressure.

"Not fast enough Wash, I've got pilgrims in the lake and no way to get them to shore." Her com crackled and suddenly she understood.

"We need to move faster." She informed Private Reilly, to her credit the young woman wasn't breathing any harder than she was, the young soldier just didn't trust her footing the way Alicia did.

"Ma'am, how are we going to get them out of the lake? We don't have anything to travel by water, it wasn't a priority." Arrow Point Lake wasn't overly large but they had determined it to be very deep, and its shape unique. The issue was big or not swimming was a thing of the past.

With water pollution to extreme levels and fresh water in high demand no one swam anymore, not for sport anyway. The military however had alternative reasons for having a few members trained not only to swim but also to dive. Given their current situation it might be something to add to the recruit training programs she was developing.

They arrived on the shore to find several rovers already present, and some very concerned members of the security team looking helpless. Medical was pacing and fretting, scanning the water surface she spotted only two struggling to stay afloat.

At least they had the right idea, churning the water with their limbs, trying to keep their faces high enough to breathe; good thing they weren't going hyperoxic yet. Taylor turned to see her running down the beach and his voice drifted to her; ordering people to clear her path.

Skidding to a stop already unfastening her weapon from her hip Alicia jolted in surprise as his hands began to unfasten her body armor. She didn't check to see if they were getting surprised looks from onlookers and didn't really care if they did; she would be useless if the weight of her gear pulled her down.

"We're relying on her?" She heard from one of the medical techs, they both turned to glare at him. Some of their medical team that had come through on the second were annoying.

Toeing out of her boots she tightened her pony tail and began to turn away; a strong hand on her shoulder stopped her. "Fatigues too Lieutenant, you are making more than one trip out."

Not protesting she stripped off the standard issue shirt, it was no concern as she always wore a tank beneath it; not willing to give anyone a show should her uniform be damaged. The man gave her a hard look and she glared at him before stripping off the pants as well.

Shorts meant for the gym did little to cover her, she only wore them under the fatigues because she had been late at the gym that morning. This time he let her turn away and she raced down the beach and into the shallows; wading out until it was deep enough to push off. Powerful strokes propelled her towards her targets, her eyes seeking them up every time she raised her head for air.

Alicia loved the water, especially here but there were few reasons for her to spend much time in it; until today. As one woman began to sink Alicia reached them, a hand caught her wrist tugging her down. Alicia searched to find her, pulling her back to the surface.

Getting both into a position that she could pull them to shore was not an easy task, she was thankful that one remained calm. On her back with their bodies above her she relied on her legs to power them to the shore. She didn't try to look to see how far she had to go, did nothing except focus her energy on her task.

Suddenly her head collided with something and she looked up to find herself in a very inappropriate position; her head pushed against her CO's chest. His hands on her side, urging her to stand, as it became obvious to others that the water was safe.

"We're working on a floatation device Wash. I've passed on the situation to Hope Plaza. Pilgrims are going to come through good and slow. We've got eighty coming." The man informed her, she felt her body tighten; there was no way she could manage that.

"Sir…" She hated to admit she didn't think she was strong enough.

"Wash do your best, and as soon as this is over you are teaching every member of security to swim." His hands rested on her shoulders for a moment, blue eyes piercing hers; it was that look that made her feel so confused.

Silently she nodded and turned away, the portal was glowing that mesmerizing blue. Alicia straightened her arms and clasped her hands arching out into the water, rolling her body in a wave motion for the first few strokes before settling into a stroke.

Moments later she heard shocked cry and shifted to tread water near the portal opening; seeking for the person who had come through. The man surfaced to her right and Alicia lunged after him; getting hit with flailing limbs.

Not bothering with reassurances or comfort she subdued the man and got him into position to go to shore; this was going to severely limit the number of trips she could do. And that number was still in the high seventies.

Taylor was waiting for her again, talking into his com as he caught her, a medic already taking the man from her arms. She heard him confirm the situation, agreeing to something or other. Alicia repeated the process, this time not waiting for instruction.

When she returned the next time he informed her they would confirm each pilgrim sent through; all had been informed of the situation. She had some advice for him; tire tubes or air mattresses and soon. She heard him bark orders to those on the shore as she went back out again, her body was feeling warm, and she wasn't tiring yet.

This might be the only time she would ever be glad that she had been taught to push herself to the max; her endurance was going to have to work for her now. Next time she arrive on the shore they had air mattresses from the out post gear waiting for her. She pushed it out to the portal and hauled herself onto it.

"Don't' take a nap, that's not for you Lieutenant." Some soldier hollered, rolling over to glare at those on the beach she heard a sharp retort from Taylor who still stood in chest deep water.

This time she was able to wait for six pilgrims before going to shore; pushing the floatable wasn't all that easy. The soldier was noticeably absent, and as she drained a water bottle Taylor ordered a nurse to check her.

"I'm fine." Trained as a medic herself Alicia knew the warning signs of exhaustion; she was managing them.

The nurse was more afraid of Taylor and held out a scanner. "Her temp is a little low, and she could use some more water."

The Commander nodded, his gaze intent. "She'll keep."

Light faded and rovers were started, providing light as chemical lighting was set up to circle the lake. Alicia's body was beginning to wear out, her body ached and each stroke took a little more out of her. Hope Plaza had confirmed that all the children were through and the men too. It seemed an odd process but children were more likely to panic and be harder to manage while the men simply out weighed her. Dealing with them while her body was stronger meant the last trip wouldn't be difficult other than getting to shore.

Floating the mattress out to the portal she didn't bother to haul herself up onto it to rest. If she did there would be no getting back in the water. The portal flickered and the last two came through one after another, both having received instruction and volunteering to be last they slipped into the water and didn't struggle as she pulled them up to the mattress, boosting them onto it.

Shifting behind the mattress Alicia began to push it to shore, the muscles in her legs screamed in agony. She made slow progress, wishing it to be over. Suddenly the mattress lurched forward, loosing her grip and sliding down she took a mouthful of water.

Strong hands wrapped around her as she choked on the water, holding her up. Several of the men had waded out to their necks, it was Taylor who had her. Her CO carried her out of the water, completely ignoring her protests.

"Get warm blankets over here." Taylor ordered and two soldiers nearly jumped out of their skin to obey. "You are freezing Wash."

"I'm alright, been worse." Not in the water, but plenty of times in combat things had been far worse.

"I didn't bring you here to fight another war Wash." The man set her on thick blanket spread over the seat of a rover; tucking the blanket around her. "We can go home now. We'll welcome the pilgrims and debrief in the morning."

She nodded, content to rest in the warm blanket. Twenty minutes later the gates came into sight, they were home. Taylor took the rover straight to her door, a newly constructed unit; he had encouraged her to take some privacy out of barracks. She walked to the door wrapped in the blanket, the Commander watching from the rover.

Alicia figured she should inquire about her body armor and weapon but she knew that wasn't the kind of thing the Commander would loose track of. Picking up her plex she sent him a quick message; he confirmed he would have them for her in the morning. Stepping into the bathroom she turned the water to the highest setting and stepped under the spray; leaning on the shower wall.

Taylor hadn't brought here to fight another war, but with the lush beauty and land rich with resources she couldn't help but wonder how long it would be until there was another war. This was meant to be their second chance, a new life and a new world; it was his hope. She understood that and hoped he was right, she would like to live a different life. But it took time to build a colony, and that came with pit falls.

Turning off the hot water Alicia wrapped a towel around herself and crawl into her bed. She didn't wake until someone was pounding on her door. Scrambling to find clothes she whimpered as her body protested; never had she felt so sore. She wrenched the door open to reveal her CO standing on the step with his fist raised.

"I'm sorry sir." She sighed, sun light greeted her and she knew she had slept through her alarm.

"You alright Wash?" The man let his arm drop to his side, his gaze roving over her.

"Fine."

"There are some new citizens looking for you, then I want you in the training center; our new recruits need a reality check." They also had to debrief yesterday, but she wasn't adding that to the list right now.

"Yes sir." She kept her cringe hidden, she did not have the energy for recruits today.

It was a few moments later that she considered his words, and the fact she didn't have her weapon back. Dressing properly and smoothing her hair into a tie Alicia went to her weapon cabinet and took a replacement; selecting a knife as well. With alternate body armor on and her misery hidden Alicia left her unit.

She didn't know what citizens wanted to see her but she headed to the market to breakfast; that was where most colonists would be. Alicia noticed a group of kids sitting on the rocks near the fruit stand, only a few soldier's families had come on the second. This time with the lottery there were more families.

It was good to have kids around, they needed that innocence and the motivation. Those children would only inherit what they left to them, and today that thought made her smile. Duty, loyalty and honor held deep meaning to her as a woman but especially as a soldier. She had fought for flag and country but really she fought for a future.

A little girl stared at her for a long moment and then leapt up, Alicia smirked and turned to the vendor to pay for a piece of fruit. The man waved her taros away, mumbling something about her having earned it, she fixed him with a hard look and set her money on the table. Turning she had to stop short, three little girls stood in front of her. Two looked nervous, the other grinned at her and then held out a picture. "Thank you for helping us yesterday."

Alicia couldn't help but smile. "That's my job."

She took the picture, it was an interesting depiction yesterday's events. The little girls whispered and jostled each other, trying to establish something; one sighed dramatically. "We wanted to ask if you would teach us to swim. Mommy says the water is safe here."

"I would have to ask your parents first. Don't you have orientation this morning?"

All three nodded seriously and then took off, with a smile on her face she walked to the training center. Apparently she was going to be giving a lot of swimming lessons. Stepping into the cool building she saw that the recruits had been divided into two groups.

Guzman worked with several, men who looked a more skilled. Taylor predictably had the new recruits in the sparring ring. There were eleven of them, one was circling the Commander now; looking entirely terrified. Alicia watched for a moment, she noticed several recruits glancing at her.

The Commander put the recruit in the ring out of his misery, pinning him to the mat for a moment before helping him up. He ordered them to get some water and ducked under the ropes; eleven young men immediately dispersed.

"The girls find you?" The Commander asked.

"Yes sir." She thought of the picture carefully folded in her pocket.

"Good. You're in no shape to spar today Wash but these boys need to learn a few moves. Already sending 'em without basic." He shook his head but she knew he almost preferred to get them that way; then he could train them the way he wanted.

By noon she had hit the mat so many times she was nearly numb, it was a matter of pride that stopped her protest. Her CO seemed to watch her carefully every time he dropped her, demonstrating different take downs for the recruits.

Taylor didn't warn her or prompt her, she didn't really put up a fight, they would drop into stance and she would let him lead. Sometimes circling once or twice, each time she hit the mat the recruits flinched; she spotted Taylor's problem.

Their eyes met and he called for a break, she went and got some water then returned to the ring, aware of the eyes following her. As they resumed sparring she sunk into a strong stance, this time when he jabbed she easily avoided; shooting out her own fist. Setting her face as a blank mask she fought back, darting around Taylor's blows and dealing more than one of her own.

On a good day it would be a draw as to which of them would win, today winning wasn't the goal; she didn't have the strength. Today Alicia just had to prove a point. As time passed they would be getting many more recruits, all of which needed to be trained. All of which needed to learn that a deadly opponent could take any shape, size or gender.

She wasn't a small woman, at least not in stature but some confused lithe strong limbs for slender and delicate. She had never aimed to be as bulky as any of the men she worked with, and no matter how hard she worked she would never fill out as they did. But she had worked with what she had got, sheer strengths was not her friend, but her body was lithe and strong; her movements smooth and fast.

Alicia was just as deadly in a fight as any man, as Taylor flipped her onto her back Alicia quickly took out his knees and rolled to the side as he joined her. Pain raced through her, only serving to make her feel alive; she wasn't doing to badly.

Then with years behind them each could read the other's tactics and knew what was coming; he deviated. Never one to waste a chance Alicia shifted, used the motion to pin him on his chest; she knew it was intentional. The training center was dead silent as she offered him a hand and pulled him up.

"She's in no shape to fight today and took a beating this morning." Taylor's voice held a warning, the recruits had no idea he had thrown that one. "Lieutenant Washington is second in command, some of you will be posted to her unit; you will have the best hand to hand combat training in this world and the one you left behind. You will all serve with women, you will not underestimate any of them. Is that clear?"

Shoulders snapped back, heads nodded as they nearly jumped over each other to respond. "Yes Sir."

"Dismissed." Taylor ordered, already turning to her; the recruits wasted no time clearing out. "You get them for survival tomorrow."

"Do they all have to survive?" She asked dryly, rubbing the ache in her neck.

"No sending 'em back." He joked, reminding her that there was no going back; at times that weighed more heavily on them than others. "You alright Wash?"

"Fine Sir." They both knew she would have to be far worse to say anything else.

"That was good work yesterday, we would have lost a lot of those people with out you." And from him that was high praise; Alicia accepted with a smile. "Don't think this round of recruits underestimate you."

Leaving the training center she decided that she agreed, this round of recruits didn't underestimate her; not after the lessons they'd had in the twenty four hours they had been in Terra Nova. Yet the fact was under estimating any thing or any one in Terra Nova could be death; especially the predators that roamed this land. It was better they all learned that lesson early, it was one she had learned in a dying world at her father's side.

And she believed that all she had learned in the past had been meant to keep her alive another day. It was those skills she relied on, last night, today and tomorrow. She held onto that, and hope, Alicia Washington firmly believed that when hope died so would all of them; as a soldier she fought hard to hold onto that. But there were things that kept it alive; memories she cherished. Some here in Terra Nova, a land where they had a future; a world with a life ahead of it.


End file.
